Electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor and electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor chip used in the same

Abstract

An electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor including: a plasmon polariton intensifying sensor chip in which a prism and a sensor chip including a transparent electrode, an n-type transparent semiconductor film, and a plasmon resonance film electrode arranged in this order are arranged in an order of the prism, the transparent electrode, the n-type transparent semiconductor film, and the plasmon resonance film electrode; and an electric measuring apparatus which directly measures a current or voltage from the transparent electrode and the plasmon resonance film electrode.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor comprising:
 a plasmon polariton intensifying sensor chip in which a prism and a sensor chip including a transparent electrode, an n-type transparent semiconductor film, and a plasmon resonance film electrode arranged in this order are arranged in an order of the prism, the transparent electrode, the n-type transparent semiconductor film, and the plasmon resonance film electrode; and 
 an electric measuring apparatus which directly measures a current or voltage from the transparent electrode and the plasmon resonance film electrode, wherein 
 the prism is capable of controlling an angle of an incident light so as to allow the incident light to totally reflect between the plasmon resonance film electrode and the n-type transparent semiconductor film. 
 
     
     
       2. The electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the sensor chip, a combination of the n-type transparent semiconductor film and the plasmon resonance film electrode is a combination which forms a Schottky barrier. 
 
     
     
       3. The electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the sensor chip, a thickness of the plasmon resonance film electrode is 200 nm or less (not including 0). 
 
     
     
       4. The electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the sensor chip, the n-type transparent semiconductor film is a film made of at least one n-type semiconductor selected from the group consisting of TiO 2 , ZnO, SnO 2 , SrTiO 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , TaON, WO 3 , and In 2 O 3 . 
 
     
     
       5. The electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensor chip further includes an adhesive layer between the n-type transparent semiconductor film and the plasmon resonance film electrode. 
 
     
     
       6. The electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensor chip further includes a protection film on a surface of the plasmon resonance film electrode opposite to the n-type transparent semiconductor film. 
 
     
     
       7. An electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor comprising:
 a plasmon polariton intensifying sensor chip which includes
 a sensor chip provided with
 a plasmon resonance film electrode which is capable of converting incident light into a surface plasmon polariton, 
 an n-type transparent semiconductor film which is arranged on an incident light side of the plasmon resonance film electrode, which transmits the incident light, and which is capable of receiving hot electrons emitted from the plasmon resonance film electrode when the transmitted incident light interacts with the plasmon resonance film electrode, and 
 a transparent electrode which is capable of picking up as an electric signal the hot electrons transferred from the n-type transparent semiconductor film and 
 a prism capable of controlling an angle of the incident light so as to allow the incident light to totally reflect between the plasmon resonance film electrode and the n-type transparent semiconductor film; and 
 
 
 an electric measuring apparatus which is capable of directly measuring a current or voltage from the transparent electrode and the plasmon resonance film electrode. 
 
     
     
       8. An electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor chip which is used in the electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor according to  claim 1  and which includes the transparent electrode, the n-type transparent semiconductor film, and the plasmon resonance film electrode arranged in this order. 
     
     
       9. An electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor chip which is used in the electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor according to  claim 7  and which includes the transparent electrode, the n-type transparent semiconductor film, and the plasmon resonance film electrode arranged in this order. 
     
     
       10. A method for detecting a change in a surface plasmon polariton using an electricity measuring type surface plasmon resonance sensor which includes
 a plasmon polariton intensifying sensor chip in which a prism and a sensor chip including a transparent electrode, an n-type transparent semiconductor film, and a plasmon resonance film electrode arranged in this order are arranged in an order of the prism, the transparent electrode, the n-type transparent semiconductor film, and the plasmon resonance film electrode, and 
 an electric measuring apparatus which directly measures a current or voltage from the transparent electrode and the plasmon resonance film electrode, the method comprising: 
 producing a surface plasmon polariton by emitting light onto the prism and allowing the light, which has passed through the prism, the transparent electrode, and the n- type transparent semiconductor, to totally reflect between the plasmon resonance film electrode and the n-type transparent semiconductor film to interact with the plasmon resonance film electrode; 
 picking up hot electrons, produced by the surface plasmon polariton and transferred to the n-type transparent semiconductor film, from the transparent electrode as an electric signal; and 
 measuring a change in current or voltage between the transparent electrode and the plasmon resonance film electrode with the electric measuring apparatus.